Florida Gators baseball vs. Kennesaw State Owls Game 3 live blog

Nothing comes easy in this game. Barlow ran into trouble, giving up consecutive hits to start the top of the ninth. McCollum grounded into a fielder’s choice to short, but it required a rangy play from Lawson. The throw bounced off Kurland’s glove at second, and everyone was safe, including the runner crossing home.

Schuyler Sandford took over for Barlow after that, but it wasn’t a smooth transition to close the game. Chirello singled on a bloop down the left-field line, loading the bases, and Sandford hit Alig to bring another run across.

He struck out Jones but walked Gibbs for a third run in the inning. Kennesaw State is now a grand slam away from tying it up. A grounder to third brought in another run, but also brought another out. Miller took the forceout at third, taking away a runner in scoring position. McDuffie flied out to right to bring the game to a merciful end.

Strayer and Surowiec flied out for a pair of quick outs, but Cyr extended his hitting streak to five games with a double off the wall in center. Stanford doubled as well, but this one was a tall fly ball that should’ve been caught. Instead, it fell between the center fielder and shortstop for Florida’s 12th run of the day.

Miller grounded out to short to end the inning. Three outs to go.

With Barberi’s day over, Billy Barlow took over and induced a soft ground ball for out No. 1. He walked the next batter, but got a tailor-made double-play ball to face the minimum. Three hours and 15 minutes and counting, but Florida is finally cruising.

Stanford led off the inning with a grounder to third that was originally called safe, but a review overturned the call after showing the first baseman didn’t come off the bag. Miller lined out to third, and it looked like it would be a short inning, but a couple of free bases extended it.

Kurland was hit by a pitch, this time on his back, avoiding his heavily wrapped forearm. Jones walked, and Lawson singled to right, scoring Kurland. Jones headed to third, and Kennesaw State’s catcher threw the ball away, allowing him to jog home. Bowen struck out to end the inning, but the lead is well secured now.

Williams struck out to open the inning, but McCollum and Chirello put together back-to-back hits to threaten runs. Fortunately, Chirello’s double bounced over the fence, holding McCollum up at third, and Barberi bounced back with back-to-back strikeouts to prevent any scoring.

Stanford walked to open up the bottom of the sixth and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Logan Brock took over on the mound for Renfroe. He struck out Miller, bringing Cade Kurland to the plate as a pinch hitter for Colton Schwarz.

Kurland lined one into right to put runners on the corner, and Jones reached on a single to center that Lyons couldn’t track to score the run.

Lawson walked to load the bases, and Bowen hit a sacrifice fly to right to make it 7-5.

Strayer walked to reload the bases, and Surowiec brought in two with a single up the middle. Finally, Florida has a comfortable lead. Cyr grounded out to end the inning.

Barberi gave up a leadoff walk, but he got a 5-4-3 double play to clear the bases. He should’ve been out of the inning on a grounder to short, but Lawson airmailed it over first base, putting a man on second. Barberi left him stranded with a groundout to first.

Bowen led off with a double through the right side. Strayer swung and missed at strike three, but the pitch was wild, and he ran down to first, moving Bowen to third. Unfortunately, Strayer made contact with the ball, which means he’s out, and Bowen had to return to second. Ryan Renfroe took over for Summerville after that.

A passed ball got Bowen back to third, and Surowiec brought him home with an RBI groundout up the middle. Cyr grounded out to end the inning, all tied up.

Walls came back out to try and get through the order, but a leadoff walk brought in Ernesto Lugo-Canchola. He got the first two outs on a grounder and a deep fly ball to left-center, but that allowed the baserunner to reach third. A wild pitch brought the run home and tied the game, and then Williams reached on a dropped third pitch strikeout.

Williams stole second and moved to third on a bad throw by Stanford down to second. Lugo-Canchola gave up a base on a six-pitch walk, his first walk or hit allowed of the season, and a pitch-clock violation led to another and loaded the bases. Lugo-Canchola was perfect in his first two appearances, but he struggled with command in this one.

Ricky Reeth took over after that and walked the only batter he faced. That’s one run on four walks and no hits in the inning. Disaster.

Jackson Barberi, who has been ill this week, came in to get the final out. He threw four straight sliders and got the K for out No. 3. Finally.

Blake Cyr fouled off three pitches before being hit by a pitch. He stole second on a dirtball and moved to third on a Stanford single lined into left. Cyr could have scored if he had taken off right away, but he made the right play by waiting halfway to see if the ball was caught.

Miller struck out, chasing a ball outside the zone. Schwarz went down 1-2 looking to bunt, but he worked the count full and walked to load the bases. Powell wasn’t commanding his breaking ball at all and missed half the time with his changeup and fastball. He went changeup against Schwarz and missed low.

Jones put one up in the jet stream to deep right field, but the park contained it, leading to a sac fly instead of a grand slam. That was the end of the road for Powell. Left-hander Jayden Summerville took over and got Lawson swinging to end the threat.

Cooper Walls has settled in after that rough first inning, which deserves some credit. Kennesaw State’s staff is slowly letting up, while Walls continues to get stronger. He retired the side in order against, getting Alig to fly out to right, Jones to ground out to second and Gibbs to fly out to right.

Royer’s day ended after a leadoff walk to Jones, but Daniel Powell immediately walked the first batter he faced (Lawson) on four pitches. Bowen fouled off five pitches in a row before flying out to right. Jones moved to third after tagging. Lawson stole second right after, eliminating the double play.

Cash Strayer grounded out up the middle, but it was enough to bring Jones home and tie up the game. Surowiec struck out to strand Lawson, though.

Williams led off the third with a single into right field, off the first pitch he saw, but he was thrown out at second by Stanford later in the inning.

McCollum struck out and Chirello grounded out to the right side, allowing Walls to face the minimum for a second straight inning. After throwing nearly 30 pitches in the first, Walls has pounded the zone and is only at 49 through three frames.

Cash Strayer took a ball off the foot to give Florida its first baserunner of the day, and Surowiec quickly brought him on a double down the left-field line. Strayer rounded third awkwardly and might have been dead to rights, but a poor relay throw allowed him to score with ease.

Kennesaw State starter Cole Royer was sharp in the first, but he couldn’t locate much in the second. He walked Blake Cyr on four pitches before finally getting one over the plate against Cole Stanford. Surowiec moved up to third after tagging up on a deep fly ball to center for Stanford. The wind is playing a factor today, but Lyons was able to track this one down.

Sam Miller grounded out to third, but Surowiec was able to score on the play, cutting the deficit to one. Colton Shwarz wasn’t able to tie up, though, freezing for strike three.

Walls had a much better second inning, retiring the Owls, 1-2-3. Aaron Posey froze on a breaking ball in the zone, and Shamaar McDuffie flew out to deep right field. Ethan Surowiec had to drop and block a ground ball at first for the third out, but he made the play unassisted to help Walls get out of the inning on nine pitches.

Florida went down in order to open on offense. Kyle Jones sent a blooper to shallow center, but Alig got under it and made the play. Lawson struck out on three straight pitches, and Bowen popped out in foul territory after working the count full. So much for a fast start.

The Owls got going right away, opening the game with back-to-back hits and a run off Cooper Walls. Trenton Lyons blooped a single to shallow center, and Cooper Williams pulled on down the right-field line for an RBI triple. Walls is leaving his fastball over the plate a bit, and Kennesaw State is jumping on it.

Grayson McCollum struck out on a slider, but Jackson Chirello sat on three breakers before lacing an RBI single through the right side. Wes Alig and Josh Gibbs struck out to end the inning, but not before Charlie Jones brought in a third run on a liner up the middle.

Even though Walls struck out the side, he gave up three runs on four hits and 29 pitches. The bullpen should get some work in today.